ALCC’s Women in Green Committee was established to address recruitment and training of women for landscape industry careers. The first two meetings were focused on surveying ALCC members, specifically women working in the industry to learn about their work, needs unique to them, challenges, training desires and career goals.

They will also survey ALCC company owners and managers, most of whom are men, to find out whether they currently employ women and in what roles, and their collective interest level in recruiting women to their companies.

Ultimately, the committee hopes this data will inform ways to expand career options for women and strategies to recruit more women to the landscape industry. Brainstorming will continue on ways to market careers for women both within and outside the industry via social media and other means, mentoring, offering classes and skills training geared to women at ProGreen 2023, and outreach among Career Pathways high schools and colleges with industry-related programs.

Colorado State University (CSU) ranked ninth among schools—based on total team scores—at the 2022 National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC). Over the years, the CSU team has consistently ranked near the top of this event sponsored by National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP).

This year’s competition, held in person at North Carolina State University following two years of virtual events due to the pandemic, hosted approximately 500 students from more than 40 two- and four-year colleges and universities from across the country. Several CSU students placed within the top five in their chosen events.

The event is both a skills competition where students are evaluated on their ability to perform hands-on landscape tasks and a job prospecting opportunity. Landscape firms from around the country actively recruit students for jobs and internships.

ALCC awarded the first Tom Trench Memorial Scholarship to Angela Essex in March. Essex is in her first year of a two-year program at Front Range Community College (FRCC) studying horticulture with a focus on greenhouse management. This year’s scholarship was doubled by FRCC matching the funds awarded by the Trench scholarship.

The Tom Trench Memorial Scholarship was established in 2021 as an annual award to honor Trench, who passed earlier in the year, for his many years of service within the landscape community. He served as president of ALCC, was always a willing volunteer, and is remembered as a mentor, business resource and friend to many in the industry.

Three other scholarships were awarded to students enrolled at Colorado State University (CSU).

Proposed legislation, Senate Bill SB22-138 Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, as originally written, requires a mandatory 2030 deadline for conversion of gas-powered landscape equipment to electric power. Last week GreenCO lobbyists and ALCC members met with the sponsor and other stakeholders to discuss industry concerns with the legislation. As of this week, the bill has passed the transportation committee including removal of the mandate and approving an incentive program.

SB22-138 addresses emission reductions of gas-powered equipment, specifically, “small off-road equipment used primarily in lawn and garden equipment, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws.” The bill as amended, if passed, would remove the original mandate deadline of 2030 for conversion to electric-power and provide a tax credit incentive for voluntary transition to electric-powered equipment.

ALCC’s popular spring training for irrigation techs sold out all available slots at the event held at DBC Irrigation Supply’s Wheat Ridge location. Previous sessions held 2020/2021 had reduced capacity due to social distancing and were offered a total of only three times. Now that Boot Camp has returned, more techs are learning not only the ongoing importance of water management, but hands-on skills and strategies for keeping systems operational.

Instructor Lyle Fair has long been an advocate for irrigation techs being the “rock stars” of the industry. “Our water savings—or loss—is literally in their hands,” he says, “and every technician needs to value his or her contribution to conserving Colorado’s water.”

During 32 hours of training, participants learn basic irrigation concepts, system components and assembly, how systems work, troubleshooting strategies and system repairs. They also are introduced to programming controllers to manage water efficiently. Trenching equipment is showcased during one segment so that techs can see the machine operate and get an overview of safety and operational best practices.

How does a fledgling landscape industry become professional and respectable? It happens one small step at a time and sometimes by leaps and bounds by those who believe in their industry. Following are some of ALCC’s contributions to several big steps forward over 60 years.

Water

• At the table when “Xeriscape” was born in 1981
• Was a leader in GreenCO’s defense of landscape water use during the drought of 2002
• Promoted research in 2016 by CSU on The Hidden Value of Landscapes in our communities. Using only 3% of the water that’s left after most runs downstream to other states, research helped defend the need for landscape water in future droughts.
• Launched Sustainable Landscape Partners in early 2010s and the Sustainable Landscape Management program in 2016

 Workforce training and recruiting

• Launched Certified Landscape Technician (CLT) designation in 1989 and making it one of the top three most successful programs in the U.S.
• Launched Irrigation Boot Camp training in partnership with Emily Griffith Technical College in mid-2010s and continues that training by ALCC to the present
• Taught and continues to teach high school teachers with horticulture programs how to train students in basic landscape skills over the years
• Launched the Landscape Career Pathways program in Colorado high schools in 2016

Because workforce is the Number 1 issue facing landscape firms, ALCC is urging both users and non-users of the H-2B program to reach out to their U.S. congressional representatives to call for immediate release of all supplemental visas that are available. “Any effort to bring more people into the industry helps ease the pressure on everyone,” says ALCC CEO John McMahon.

“Now that the cap of 33,000 H-2B workers nationwide has been met, it’s critical to put pressure on Congress to release all supplemental visas that are available,” says McMahon. He also notes that ALCC is currently working on the returning worker exemption to have key Colorado representatives champion legislation before Congress on the industry’s behalf. This exemption would allow workers who have been counted sometime during the previous three years NOT to be counted against the cap in a successive year. Doing so allows more guest workers into the workforce.

“Not all composts are the same,” says Clinton Sander, marketing manager at A1 Organics, Eaton. "Knowing what’s in it is very important to both a residential home owner with a small garden or a commercial contractor installing a new highway median. The US Composting Council’s (USCC’s) STA Certified Compost Program assures that compost manufacturers are held to high standards by using approved labs, testing frequently, following state regulations and disclosing specific information about their compost." A1 Organics, which provides multiple certified composts and provides organic recycling solutions, participates in the program. 

Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) Certified Compost
The US Composting Council recognizes that Quality is in the eye of the consumer. Compost use and selection decisions consider many factors, and therefore are not one-size-fits-all. The Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) Program helps you make the best decision for your application by providing the 3 C’s: clarity, consistency and confidence (as described below).

Excerpted from the full article in Colorado Green March/April 2022 by Ann Kendall
In the early 2000s, nearly all of Colorado faced severe or extreme drought conditions. In 2002, for example, much of the Front Range received less than 8 inches of annual moisture—a significant drop from average precipitation of about 14-16 inches. With gardening essentially banned, jobs in the green industry dried up too, leaving hundreds without work.

At the time, Plant Select, a plant introduction program that shares smart, new plant choices inspired by the Rocky Mountain region, was still in its infancy. Plant Select is a nonprofit collaboration between Colorado State University (CSU), Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG) and the western horticulture industry. Even in those early days of the 2000s, the program had already proven that it’s possible to have a beautiful, low-water garden with plants that don’t need to be on life support.

25 years on
Now, as Plant Select reaches its 25th anniversary, the program has become a form of drought insurance for the Colorado green industry and the broader West. It has introduced more than 170 water-wise trees, shrubs, turf alternatives, herbaceous perennials and annuals.

Ninety people, including many representatives from lawn care, landscaping and pesticide companies, with additional support from farming and golf course sectors, mobilized March 3, 2022 at the State Capitol for the hearing on SB22-131. Landscape industry professionals came to oppose the bill which they believed lacked scientific evidence with respect to pesticides and what Jason Schmidt of Weed Man Lawn Care called “a blatant disregard to the harmful effects of rolling back preemption.” Following a 10-hour hearing, the bill was defeated at 11 pm by a vote of 6-1.

The industry opposition effort was under the auspices of Green Industries of Colorado (GreenCO) whose legislative committee directs lobbying efforts on behalf of the interests of the seven organizations which comprise its membership. Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals (CALCP) took the lead in this effort.